39 research outputs found
HERA Collider Physics
HERA, the first electron-proton collider, has been delivering luminosity
since 1992. It is the natural extension of an impressive series of fixed-target
lepton-nucleon scattering experiments. The increase of a factor ten in
center-of-mass energy over that available for fixed-target experiments has
allowed the discovery of several important results, such as the large number of
slow partons in the proton, and the sizeable diffractive cross section at large
. Recent data point to a possible deviation from Standard Model
expectations at very high , highlighting the physics potential of HERA for
new effects. The HERA program is currently in a transition period. The first
six years of data taking have primarily elucidated the structure of the proton,
allowed detailed QCD studies and had a strong impact on the understanding of
QCD dynamics. The coming years will bring the era of electroweak studies and
high measurements. This is therefore an appropriate juncture at which to
review HERA results.Comment: 351 pages, 154 figures, submitted to Reviews of Modern Physic